BikerWithABag - What does that mean?

Bikerwithabag, what does that mean? Well exactly that, a young female biker with a ileostomy stoma bag.
Welcome to my story…
At first glance I look like your normal everyday biker, but dig a little deeper and the truth starts to show.
From birth I had a condition called Crohn’s disease, in and out of hospital, scans, tests, operations just to get by, at the age of 12 I ended up having life saving surgery which left me with my stoma bag.
I was determined that this wasn’t going to destroy my life of riding bikes!
Fast forward to today, age 25 and I was right it didn’t stop me I’m still riding.
I’m currently on a Aprilia Tuono v4 1100 factory, but have ridden such a variety of bikes, sportsbikes, adventure bikes right down to your cafe racers, I’m living my childhood dream.

Do I have to plan different?
Simple answer yes.
Making sure I can get toilet stops, packing medication and a change of stoma supplies are a must, luckily I can squeeze most of it into a bum bag.
But do I let it stop me?
Hell no! Putting on a brave face and showing the world you can do your wildest dreams even with a disability.
That’s not without its struggles though!
Anxiety, it sucks!
That’s what hits me the worst, constantly worrying when meeting fellow bikers, will the bag make a noise! What if it leaks in-front of them! What do I do? Do I explain? Do I walk off? Most the time it’s all just the anxiety playing tricks on me, nothing ever happens.

On the odd occasion I have had to face the bag leaking whilst out on the bike. Trying to clean the inside of leathers isn’t the easiest, I’ve learnt it’s much easier to wear bull-it jeans that way they can just be chucked in the washing machine, and much better for emptying the bag in public restrooms we all know what they can be like, no one wants to try wee in them with a one piece on.

Everything else is just like every other biker, I tour, I do trackdays. I’ll never let the stoma stop me! Stubborn I suppose but sometimes that’s just needed.